John Douglas McKeachie, a towering figure in British Columbia sports broadcasting whose voice and enthusiasm coloured decades of radio and television coverage, has died. He was 82.
McKeachie passed away on Aug. 11 at Vancouver General Hospital, surrounded by family. No formal cause of death has been released. His brother Bob, reflecting on his final days, said:
"I think at the end of the day, he just kind of ran out of gas."
From player to broadcaster
Born in Victoria on Dec. 6, 1943, McKeachie came from a family steeped in sports. His father, Ian, played for the 1945-46 Victoria Dominoes — a team later honoured by the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame — and an uncle, Al Walker, worked as a sports columnist and editor at the Victoria Times.
McKeachie himself was a capable basketball player, turning out for the University of Victoria, and during his era UVic took on touring barnstorming sides. A memorable incident recounted by his brother recalls a physical confrontation with the Harlem Clowns that left McKeachie with a broken jaw and months with his jaw wired shut.
When he recovered he pivoted into media, first with CKDA in Victoria, then moving to Vancouver where he worked for CKNW before joining BCTV in 1975. His on-air personality was unmistakable: at six-foot-six he was literally larger-than-life, and his broadcasts were marked by an energetic delivery that sometimes sped into a tumble of words.
"I talk too fast," he told a reporter in 1975. "That's no good for television. They tell me my eyes wander, too. You look up from the copy and there's nothing to see but a black hole."
Legacy and recognition
McKeachie’s peers remembered him fondly for that incandescent enthusiasm. Colleagues would tease that he had "McKeachied it" when a broadcast slipped into joyful chaos — a comment offered with affection rather than derision. His career in Vancouver television and radio spanned decades and earned him acknowledgment within the province’s sporting community.
This year he was named to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in the media category, an honour that recognised his long contribution to sports coverage in the province.
- Age at death: 82
- Born: Dec. 6, 1943 — Victoria, B.C.
- Media career: CKDA (Victoria), CKNW (Vancouver), BCTV (from 1975)
- Hall of Fame: 2026 inductee, B.C. Sports Hall of Fame (media)
| Role | Place |
|---|---|
| Basketball player | University of Victoria |
| Radio broadcaster | CKDA, CKNW |
| Television | BCTV (from 1975) |
Remembered by the community
Tributes have focussed less on technical polish than on the energy McKeachie brought to the booth and studio. A profile from his early television days captured that blend of haste and warmth — the same traits colleagues and listeners recall decades later.
Family connections to B.C. sport framed much of his life: the Dominoes connection through his father and the newspaper ties through his uncle put McKeachie in a lineage of local sporting storytellers. Among the many figures who shared the stage with him over the years were athletes and media peers who attended high-profile events and funerals alike, a sign of the interconnected nature of the province's sporting community.
He is survived by family who were by his side in his final moments. Funeral arrangements and further tributes from colleagues were expected to follow as the sports community in B.C. and beyond reflects on a broadcaster whose voice and personality left an indelible mark on regional sports coverage.
In an era when sportscasting often prizes polish, McKeachie’s career was a reminder that passion and personality can be just as memorable — and sometimes more enduring — than perfect diction. His induction into the provincial Hall of Fame this year confirmed his status as a fixture of B.C. sports media.
